Mohsen Narimon, Iranian Member of Parliament has called for the resignation of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as president.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

Parleman News reports that reformist MP Mohsen Narimon says Ahmadinejad must leave office for "legal violations committed by his government as well as creating serious mistrust in society, incompetent handling of the economy, direct insults and involvement in violations such as the recent bank fraud."

Mohsen Narimon

This is the first time an MP has called for Ahmadinejad's resignation. According to Islamic Republic law, the president can be dismissed with a two-thirds vote in Parliament and the approval of the Supreme Leader.

The law has only been used once, in 1982, to remove Iran's first president, Abolghassem BaniSadr.

Ali Motahari, another Iranian MP, resigned this week over Parliament's refusal to call Ahmadinejad for questioning. He maintained that he is no longer able to uphold the rights of people who voted for him.

Ahmadinejad has become the target of fierce criticism from conservative MPs ever since he fell into dispute with the Supreme Leader over the dismissal and reinstatement of Intelligence Minister Heydar Moslehi.

Despite Ahmadinejad's open resistance to Ayatollah Khamenei's orders, the Supreme Leader has so far refrained from supporting Parliament's drive to remove the president, choosing instead a conciliatory tone.